Elastic beads for hair

ABSTRACT

An elastic bead includes a body and a channel extending through the body. The channel may be expanded to receive an object, such as a tuft or braid of hair. Once placed over the object, the body may be configured to resiliently engage the object. Such resilient engagement may be effected without doubling, tripling or otherwise twisting and wrapping the elastic bead around the object. Methods for applying and removing the elastic beads are disclosed, as are assemblies that provide ready access to and ready storage for elastic beads.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to decorative beads and, morespecifically, to decorative beads for use in an individual's hair. Inparticular, this disclosure relates to elastic beads and to uses forelastic beads.

RELATED ART

Elastic bands, which are often referred to as “rubber bands,” have longbeen used to hold an individual's hair in place. Typically a portion ofthe individual's hair is gathered (e.g., into a tuft, such as a ponytailor pig tail, at the end of a braid, etc.), and an elastic band is placedover the gathered hair at a location near the individual's scalp.Placement of the elastic band typically includes stretching the elasticband to expand an opening therethrough, placing the elastic band overthe gathered hair and moving it to a desired location over the gatheredhair, twisting the elastic band to decrease the size of the opening,pulling the gathered hair through the smaller opening until the elasticband holds the gathered hair in a desired manner, and repeating the actsof twisting and pulling as needed to hold the individual's hair in thedesired manner.

The process of holding hair with an elastic band can be difficult andtime consuming, and sometimes has to be redone.

When an elastic band is doubled over, tripled over or otherwise twistedand wrapped around an individual's hair, strands of hair are oftenentangled in the elastic band. In addition, when an elastic band hasbeen placed in a way that enables it to remain in place for prolongedperiods of time and throughout any of a variety of activities (e.g.,exercise, sleep, typically daily activities, etc.), it is oftendifficult to remove from the individual's hair. Removal of an elasticband from hair usually involves rolling the elastic band along a lengthof the individual's hair. This process usually entangles strands ofhair. As the elastic band is removed, it pulls strands of entangled hairfrom the individual's head, which can be painful and have a detrimentaleffect on how the individual's hair looks.

Decorative beads are also incorporated into many girls' and women'shairstyles—particularly in cornrow hairstyles. When incorporated into acornrow hairstyle, the beads are often placed on tufts of hair as thehair is braided, and held in place by the braiding. Removal of beadsthat are placed on the hair in this manner typically requires undoingthe braid, which necessitates some amount of restyling.

Conventionally, the decorative beads that are used in styling hair aremade of plastic, wood, metal or other relative hard materials. When hardbeads are worn in hair, if they are forced toward the wearer's head(e.g., if she falls and hits her head, as she places her head againstanother object, such as while lying down or sleeping, etc.), they mayapply localized pressure to parts of the wearer's head, which may causethe wearer some discomfort, harm and/or pain, and may even causeheadaches. Furthermore, when an individual who has a long hairstyle thatincorporates hard beads moves her head or her hair, the hard beads oftencontact, or knock against, one another, generating potentiallydisruptive noise. When the individual moves her head and/or hair in asudden manner, the hard beads may impact the individual (e.g., her face,head, neck, shoulders, etc.) and cause pain or injury. Sudden head orhair movements may also cause the hard beads to hit other people orobjects, which may cause harm to the person or object, and may damagethe hard beads.

SUMMARY

An elastic bead according to this disclosure includes a body and achannel. The body may be formed from an elastomeric material that iseasily stretched under tensile forces and, when such forces arereleased, resiliently returns to its original, relaxed state, orsubstantially returns to its original, relaxed state. Upon stretching anelastic bead, its channel may be enlarged.

The elastic bead may be used to hold tufts of hair in place, orotherwise placed on tufts or braids of an individual's hair (e.g., fordecorative purposes, etc.). In use, the elastic bead may be stretched(i.e., a tensile force may be applied to it) in one or more directionsthat are transverse to a length of its channel. By stretching theelastic bead in this manner, a dimension across the channel (e.g., itsdiameter, etc.), or its width, may be enlarged. Enlargement of the widthof the channel may facilitate placement of the elastic bead over a tuftor braid of hair. Thus, with the width of the channel enlarged, a tuftor braid of hair may be inserted through the channel until the elasticbead is at a desired location relative to that tuft or braid of hair(e.g., at or near the individual's scalp, at the end of a braid, etc.).Once the elastic bead has been positioned at the desired location, thetensile forces may be released, enabling the elastic bead to engage thetuft or braid of hair, and to remain in place at the desired location.

An elastic bead may be repositioned on or removed from a tuft or braidof an individual's hair in a similar manner, by reversing the foregoingprocess elements. Stated another way, an elastic bead that is to beremoved from a tuft or braid of an individual's hair may be stretched,pulled off of the tuft or braid of hair while the elastic bead's channelremains enlarged and until the elastic bead has been repositioned orremoved from the individual's hair, and released, enabling the elasticbead to return or substantially return to its original, relaxedconfiguration.

The elasticity of the elastic bead may enable its use in hairstyles(e.g., cornrows, etc.) where hard beads have conventionally been used,but without the requirement that the elastic bead be incorporated (e.g.,by braiding, etc.) into the hairstyle. Thus, an elastic bead may beremoved from the hair without necessitating that any part of thehairstyling be removed. As a result, elastic beads may be added to orremoved from the hair after it has been styled, enabling an individualto change her look without requiring that her hair be restyled.

In another aspect, assemblies for storing elastic beads are disclosed.Such an assembly may include a bracelet or necklace that carries one ormore elastic beads. The elastic bead(s) may impart the bracelet ornecklace with a decorative quality. In addition, a bracelet or necklacemay be configured to accessorize (i.e., match) with one or more elasticbeads in an individual's hair. Elastic beads may be easily removed fromand/or replaced on an assembly of this type, enabling an individual toretain one or more elastic beads on her person for when use is desired,and providing a readily available place for the individual to place oneor more elastic beads once she no longer wants to wear them.

Other aspects, as well as features and advantages of various aspects, ofthe present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art through consideration of the ensuing description, theaccompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an elastic bead that incorporatesteachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the elastic beads in an individual's hair; and

FIG. 3 provides a schematic representation of an assembly for carryingone or more elastic beads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of an elastic bead 10 isillustrated. The elastic bead 10 includes a body 12 and a channel 14extending through the body 12.

The body 12 of an elastic bead 10 may be configured (e.g., have athickness, be formed from a material, etc.) to enable expansion of thedistance across (e.g., diameter, etc.), or width, of the channel 14.

The channel 14 of an elastic bead 10 may be configured to engage anobject, of a particular size or range of sizes, or an object of aparticular configuration. In various embodiments, the width of thechannel 14 may be a function of the size or sizes of the objects withwhich the elastic bead 10 is intended to be used. As a non-limitingexample, when the elastic bead 10 is configured to be placed over asmall tuft or braid of hair, the channel 14 may have a relatively smallwidth, which enables the elastic bead 10 to engage, or “grab onto,” thehair when it is released and allowed to relax (or at least to relax morethan when it was stretched). The width of the channel 14 of an elasticbead 10 configured for use in gathering hair into a large ponytail or abun may be larger. The width of the channel 14 (e.g., its diameter,etc.) may be configured to enable the elastic bead 10 to remain in placeon a tuft or braid of hair or other appropriately sized object withoutrequiring that the elastic bead be doubled up, tripled up, or otherwisetwisted and wrapped around that object.

In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic bead 10 is cylindrical inshape, and that includes a body 12 with relatively thin walls. A channel14 that extends through the body 12, and is centered relative to thebody 12, is also cylindrical in shape. The body 12 has a thickness thatis less than a distance across (i.e., diameter of, or width of) thechannel 14. In a more specific embodiment, a cylindrical elastic bead 10may have a length of about 6 mm and a diameter (or width) of about 7 mm,while a distance across (i.e., diameter of) its channel 14 may be about4 mm and the thickness of its body 12 may be about 1.5 mm.

While FIG. 1 depicts a particular embodiment of elastic bead 10, anelastic bead 10 according to this disclosure may have any of a widevariety of different configurations. As an example, while the body 12 ofthe elastic bead 10 in the illustrated embodiment is generallycylindrical in shape, the body 12 of an elastic bead 10 may havevirtually any other configuration. Without limitation, the shape of thebody 12 of an elastic bead 10 may be spherical, spheroid, a prism,another regular three-dimensional shape, an irregular three-dimensionalshape, etc. The color(s), shape(s) and other features (e.g., thematerial, coatings, fillers, etc.) of the body 12 of an elastic bead 10may impart it with a decorative appearance.

Further, the relative proportions of an elastic bead 10 may vary fromthe relative proportions illustrated by FIG. 1. For example, instead ofa channel 14 with a length that only slightly exceeds a width (e.g.,diameter, etc.) of the channel 14, the length of the channel 14 may besubstantially greater than the width of the channel 14. Stated anotherway, the channel 14 may have a greater height-aspect ratio than thatillustrated by FIG. 1. A volume of the body 12 of such an elastic bead10 may exceed a volume of the channel 14 of that elastic bead 10. Insome embodiments, the relative sizes of the body 12 and the channel 14may impart the elastic bead with a more bulbous appearance, or a morebead-like appearance, than that depicted by FIG. 1.

Alternative configurations of channels 14 may also be included in anelastic bead 10 according to this disclosure, so long as the channel 14extends completely through a portion of the elastic bead 10; i.e., it isopen-ended, or does not terminate at a location within the body 12 ofthe bead. The channel 14 need not be centered relative to the body 12 ofthe elastic bead 10. The channel 14 need not have a circularcross-sectional shape, taken transverse to a length of the channel 14.The channel 14 may be linear, non-linear (e.g., curved, bent at one ormore angles, etc.) or it may include linear and non-linear sections.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, and added reference to FIG. 2, amaterial from which the body 12 of an elastic bead 10 is formed enablesbody 12 of the elastic bead 10 to be stretched from a relaxed state(FIG. 1) to a state under tension (see, e.g., FIG. 2), or a stretchedstate, and to resiliently return or substantially return from thestretched state to the relaxed state. Some non-limiting examples ofelastic materials from which elastic beads 10 may be formed include, butare not limited to, plasticizer-extended block copolymers (e.g., oilextended styrene-butadiene-stryine (SBS) tri-block copolymers, etc.),silicone, natural rubber and the like.

In addition to enabling the configuration of the body 12 to bemanipulated, the elasticity of the material from which the body 12 of anelastic bead 10 is formed enables a configuration of the channel 14 ofthe elastic bead 10, which extends though the body 12, to be changed.The body 12 of an elastic bead 10 may be stretched in directions thatenable the channel 14 of the elastic bead 10 to receive hair (e.g., atuft of hair, a braid, a ponytail, a bun, etc.). When the hair is inplace within, or extends through, the channel 14 the tension that hasbeen applied to the body 12 to expand the channel 14 may be released,and the interior walls of the body 12 that define the channel 14 mayengage, or “grab onto,” the hair within the channel 14—provided that thedistance across the hair is about the same as or exceeds a distanceacross (e.g., diameter, etc.) the channel 14. Such engagement may be theresult of tension that the hair continues to exert on the body 12 of theelastic bead 10. Additionally, in some embodiments, a surface of thechannel 14 may be configured or imparted with a texture that enhancesthe ability of the elastic bead 10 to remain in place around anotherobject, such as a tuft or braid of hair.

Because the elastic beads 10 are made from a soft material, they may beworn on hair without the noise typically associated with hard beads.When they are formed from a compressible material, the elastic beads 10may apply significantly less localized pressure to the wearer's head asthey are forced toward her head (e.g., if her head impacts a surface, asmay occur if the wearer stumbles or falls; as the wearer sleeps; etc.).They may also be less likely to cause pain or injury to the wearer oranother person, or to cause damage to themselves or to another object.

In addition to illustrating an embodiment of elastic bead 10 thatincorporates teachings of this disclosure, FIG. 1 also shows packages 20that hold a plurality of elastic beads 10. Such a package may include anapplication tool 25, which is configured to facilitate placement of oneor more (e.g., simultaneously, etc.) of the elastic beads 10 on a tuftor braid of a wearer's hair.

The application tool 25 may comprise an elongated element that receivesone or more elastic beads 10 and facilitates their expansion (e.g., theexpansion of their channels 14, etc.) to facilitate their introductiononto another object, such as a tuft or braid of hair. In the embodimentdepicted by FIG. 1, the application tool includes a threading end 26, abead-holding section 28 and a channel-expansion end 29. The threadingend 26, which is located at one end of the application tool 25, isconfigured to receive one or more elastic beads 10 so that they may bepositioned on the bead-holding section 28. In some embodiments, theapplication tool 25 may include a retention element 27 between thethreading end 26 and the bead-holding section 28. The retention element27 may be configured to collapse as the threading end 26 is introducedinto the channel 14 of an elastic bead 10 and the elastic bead 10 isforced across the retention element 27 and onto the bead-holding section28. Once the elastic bead 10 has moved beyond the retention element 27,the retention element 27 may re-expand to prevent the elastic bead 10from unintentionally sliding off of the bead-holding section 28 and thethreading end 26 of the application tool 25. An expansion end 29 islocated at or adjacent to an opposite end of the application tool 25from the threading end 26. A distance across, or width, of the expansionend 29 may exceed a width of the channel 14 of an elastic bead 10 withwhich the application tool 25 is configured to be used, and may besufficient to enable an individual to easily introduce a finger or anexpansion tool into the channel 14 for further expansion. The expansionend 29 may be rounded or tapered in a manner that enables an elasticbead 10 to be forced thereover with relative ease. A rigidity of theexpansion end 29 may exceed the rigidity of an elastic bead 10 by anamount that enables expansion of the width of a channel 14 of an elasticbead 10 as the elastic bead 10 is forced over the expansion end 29, andoff of the application tool 25.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a manner in which an elasticbead 10 may be used is depicted. Without limitation, the elastic bead 10may be stretched by pulling opposite sides of its body 12 away from oneanother. Such pulling may be initiated manually (e.g., by way of anindividual's thumbs and/or fingers, etc.) or with an application tool,such as the application tool 25 illustrated in and described withreference to FIG. 1. With the elastic bead stretched, the channel 14 isenlarged. In some embodiments, an individual may place two or more ofher phalanges (e.g., a finger and a thumb, as shown, etc.) partiallythrough the enlarged channel 14, enabling her to grasp a tuft of hair 30over which the elastic bead 10 is to be positioned. Once the elasticbead is at a desired location over the tuft or braid of hair 30 (e.g.,near an end of the tuft of braid of hair 30; at a more distant locationfrom the end of the tuft or braid of hair 30, along a mid-section of thetuft or braid of hair 30; etc.), the individual who is placing theelastic bead 10 in the hair may remove her phalanges from the channel14, enabling the body 12 of the elastic bead 10 to resiliently collapsearound the tuft or braid of hair 30 and to remain in position along thetuft or braid of hair 30.

The elastic bead 10 may be repositioned along the tuft of hair 30 orremoved from the tuft of hair 30 in a similar manner.

FIG. 3 depicts an assembly 40 for storing and/or retaining one or moreelastic beads 10. The assembly 40 may include an elongate element onwhich one or more elastic beads 10 may be placed and from which the oneor more elastic beads 10 may be removed. The assembly 40 may beconfigured to be worn or otherwise carried by an individual. Such anassembly 40 may provide the individual with ready access to one or moreelastic beads 10 and/or with a place to readily store one or moreelastic beads 10.

In the depicted embodiment, the assembly 40 comprises a bracelet withwhich one or more elastic beads 10 may be readily assembled and fromwhich one or more elastic beads 10 may be readily removed for use. Insuch an embodiment, as well as in a variety of other embodiments, theassembly 40 may serve both a utilitarian purpose (e.g., providing readyaccess to and storage for one or more elastic beads 10, etc.), as wellas an aesthetic purpose (e.g., as a decoration, etc.). An assembly 40that is configured as an accessory may be tailored to complement otherfeatures of an individual's appearance, including, but not limited to,one or more elastic beads 10 worn in the individual's hair.

The disclosed embodiments should not be deemed to limit the scope of anyof the claims that follow. The scope of each claim should be limitedmerely by its plain language, and should be deemed to include the fullcomplement of available equivalents.

1. An elastic bead, comprising: a body configured to provide hair with adecorative appearance, the body comprising an elastic material thatexpands under a tensile force and resiliently returns to shape orsubstantially returns to shape when a tensile force is released; and achannel extending through the body, the channel being configured toexpand and contract, enabling the body to engage a tuft or braid ofhair, the body and the channel having dimensions that impart the elasticbead with an appearance of a bead.
 2. The elastic bead of claim 1,wherein the channel is configured to enable the body to engage the tuftor braid of hair without requiring the body to be twisted and repeatedlywrapped around the tuft or braid of hair.
 3. The elastic bead of claim1, wherein the channel is cylindrical in shape, with a length thatexceeds its width.
 4. The elastic bead of claim 3, wherein the body iscylindrical in shape.
 5. The elastic bead of claim 4, wherein a diameterof the channel exceeds a thickness of the body.
 6. The elastic bead ofclaim 1, wherein a volume of the body exceeds a volume of the channel.7. A method of holding a tuft or braid of hair, consisting of: providingan elastic bead with a body and a channel; applying tensile force to thebody at two or more locations of the channel to increase a width of thechannel; inserting the tuft or braid of hair through the channel whileapplying the tensile force to the body; and releasing the tensile forceto enable the body to engage the tuft or braid of hair.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein providing the elastic bead consists of providing adecorative elastic bead.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein: insertingcomprises inserting a tuft or braid through the channel to a locationover a mid-section of the tuft or braid of hair; and releasing enablesthe body to engage the tuft or braid of hair at a location along themid-section of the tuft or braid of hair.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising: removing the elastic bead from the tuft or braid ofhair without undoing the tuft or braid of hair.
 11. The method of claim10, wherein removing includes: applying tensile force to the body at twoor more locations of the channel to increase a width of the channel todisengage the body from the tuft or braid of hair; and with the width ofthe channel increased, moving the elastic bead over the tuft or braid ofhair, toward an end of the tuft or braid of hair and beyond the end ofthe tuft or braid of hair.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein applyingtensile force includes: initially increasing the width of the channelwith an application tool; and further increasing the width of thechannel manually.
 13. An assembly, comprising: a package; a plurality ofelastic beads carried by the package; and an application tool carried bythe package and configured to facilitate application of one or more ofthe plurality of elastic beads to an object.
 14. The assembly of claim13, wherein the application tool includes: a threading end configured tobe introduced into a channel of an elastic bead of the plurality ofelastic beads; a bead-holding section adjacent to the threading end andconfigured to receive a plurality of elastic beads in series; and anexpansion end on an opposite side of the bead-holding section from thethreading end, the expansion end having a width that exceeds a width ofthe channel of the elastic bead, a rigidity that exceeds a rigidity of abody of the elastic bead and a shape that facilitates: movement of theelastic bead onto and over the expansion end; and expansion of the widthof the channel of the elastic bead as the elastic bead is moved over theexpansion end.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the applicationtool further includes: a retention element between the threading end andthe bead-holding section, the retention element: having a width thatexceeds a width of the channel of the elastic bead; being compressibleas the elastic bead is moved onto the retention element to enable theelastic bead to move across the retention element and onto thebead-holding section; and configured to re-expand as the elastic bead ismoved onto the bead-holding section to prevent the elastic bead frombeing inadvertently moved back over the threading end.
 16. An assembly,comprising: an elongate element configured to retain a plurality ofbeads; and at least one elastic bead on and removable from the elongateelement, the elongate element extending through a channel through the atleast one elastic bead.
 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein theelongate element is configured to be carried by an individual.
 18. Theassembly of claim 17, wherein the elongate element is configured to beworn by an individual.
 19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein theelongate element comprises a bracelet or a necklace.